Jakarta disabled athletes have taken home 25 gold medals, 32 silver medals and 41 bronze medals with sixth place at the National Paralympic Week (Peparnas) XVI, Papua.

Alhamdulillah, this is a significant achievement as Jakarta is ranked 11th with 25 gold medals

Jakarta Contingent Chef de Mission for Peparnas XIV, Tedi Cahyono said, it meant Jakarta had succeeded in achieving the predetermined target, even though they did not win the overall champion.

"Alhamdulillah, this is a significant achievement as Jakarta is ranked 11th with 25 gold medals. Even some athletes whose targets were bronze, actually won gold medals, as achieved by Nabila in the table tennis sport for the blind female," he expressed, Monday (11/15).

He explained, four athletes also managed to break the record at Peparnas XVI. While three others broke the national record, including one for the 2017 Asean Paragames record.

They were Maria Goreti Sumiyati and Fajar Budi Pratama from athletics, Diandra Hasna Fadhillah and Laura Aurelia Dinda Sekar from swimming.

According to him, the Youth and Sports Agency (Dispora) would be more active in involving its disabled athletes in single or multi-event competitions, specifically for disabilities at the international level.

Besides that, they were aiming for an international classification for their disabled athletes.

"The international classification is fixed, meaning that it can't be contested when it is achieved when competing at the national level. This proves that there is a revival of disability sports and brings Jakarta's good name in the international arena," he explained.

He added, the agency would continue to cooperate with the Social Agency (Dinsos) in a bid to create competent athletes.

"We continue to intensify coordination with orphanages in Jakarta such as nursing homes for the disabled, blind and deaf to get new, younger and potential athletes to be coached in the future," he said.